


It Won't Be Long Before We'll All Be There With Snow

by zebraljb



Series: 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge [1]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Family Fluff, M/M, snowflakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21646342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zebraljb/pseuds/zebraljb
Summary: Merlin guides his sons in making Christmas decorations...and they come up with a special gift for their other father along the way.
Relationships: Merlin/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin
Series: 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560508
Comments: 10
Kudos: 70
Collections: 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge





	It Won't Be Long Before We'll All Be There With Snow

**Author's Note:**

> #1 in the 2019 Advent Ficlet Challenge. Of course I will NOT be keeping it under 1000 words (although I'm trying, I swear), and I unfortunately will NOT be posting one a day until Christmas, as real life keeps getting in the way. Pairings will vary.
> 
> Prompt - Snowflakes

IT WON’T BE LONG BEFORE WE’LL ALL BE THERE WITH SNOW

“No scissors.” Merlin deftly slams the drawer shut before an eager little hand can reach in. “Ye will use your own scissors.”

“But Da, those scissors don’t cut crap!” Dark brown eyes glare up at him. “I’m ten, I think I know how to use grown-up scissors.”

“Tell me, Maxwell, why ye think it is a good idea to use such words in such a tone with me?” Merlin crosses his arms over his chest.

“Sorry,” Max mutters, scuffing his toe. “But can’t I use the real scissors if you’re watching me?”

“If your manners improve, yes.” Merlin taps the top of a blond head. “Drew, come along, we’re making decorations.”

“I wanna read!”

“Ye may…later. Don’t ye wish to have the house looking festive when your Daddy comes home from his work trip?”

“Yeah.” A pudgy finger slides a bookmark into place. “But it was just getting to the good part.”

“Sometimes I wish I had nae taught ye to read so early,” Merlin groans, but he’s secretly proud of his youngest son. He’s only eight but is reading books three or four years ahead of his age. “Now, do ye know how to make snowflakes?” Merlin thumps a ream of paper onto the table.

“Yeah, we did it in school!” Drew brightens and reaches for some paper. He quickly folds it, grabs the small scissors, and begins cutting.

“Over the table, lad.” Merlin grabs the rubbish bin just in case. 

“Did you and Daddy make decorations with your Mum and Dad?” Drew asks, brow furrowed with concentration.

“I did, although we did nothing as nice as these snowflakes,” Merlin replies, remembering back to the tiny hovel in Scotland. His parents did their best to make their small home happy and warm, but there often was barely enough of anything to go around. “And Daddy’s Da died when he was even younger than the two of you, and his mother was too…busy.”

“Hey, Da, can I ask you a question? Oh, thanks.” Max takes the large scissors and smiles at his father. 

“Of course ye may.”

“We got all sorts of stuff from when you were little…pictures and things. Why don’t we have anything from Daddy’s life when he was little?” Max looks up at him expectantly. Drew stops cutting and pays attention as well.

Merlin sighs and sits down. Michelle is clean and sober and happily employed now, a good mother to Daisy and an excellent grandmother to the boys. They’ve heard very little about Eggsy’s life before Kingsman, and Merlin feels it’s Eggsy’s story to tell. “After Daddy’s Da died, things were very hard for Eggsy and Grandma. This was before Aunt Daisy came along…and Grandma was very confused and sad. She was worrying so much about what to do, how to take care of Daddy, that she couldn’t really focus on Christmas and decorations. Plus Daddy’s Da died right before Christmas, so it was always hard for them.”

Drew looks horrified. “Daddy’s not going to die, is he? It’s before Christmas!”

“Oh, nae, my lad.” Merlin gets up to hug him. “Daddy is fine. He’s on a plane home from Greece as we speak.”

“That’s sad,” Max observes, folding his paper and cutting it. “Does Christmas make Daddy upset?”

“Nae…he’s had time to work through it, plus now he has his own family.” Merlin kisses their foreheads. 

“Can I call Grandma after dinner?” Max asks suddenly.

“Of course. Ye know she always loves to hear from ye. Now less talking and more cutting if ye wish to finish before he gets home tomorrow.”

“Yes, Da,” Drew says. “Can I tell you what’s happening in my book?” His brother groans but Merlin gives his youngest a nod and a smile.

Max and Drew are at the kitchen table doing their homework the next afternoon when Merlin hears the front door close. “Did I come in the wrong house?” Eggsy calls. “When I left my house looked nothing like this.”

“Daddy!” Drew jumps from his chair and runs down the hall.

“WALK!” Merlin bellows. To Merlin’s surprise Max sedately gets up from the table and goes up the back stairs to the second floor instead of greeting his father.

“Found a monkey in the hall.” Eggsy enters the kitchen with Drew on his back. “Hello, babe.”

“Hello, leannan. Welcome home.” Merlin gives his husband a long lingering kiss. “I read your report from your trip. Well done.”

“Thanks.” Eggsy beams up at him and kisses him. “You can reward me later.”

“Like a prize from the Being Good Box?” Drew asks as Eggsy puts him down.

“Something like that.” Eggsy gives Merlin a cheeky grin as he goes to the refrigerator for a drink. “Well…here’s my big boy. Thought you forgot about me,” Eggsy says as Max returns to the kitchen.

“Never. Hi, Daddy.” Max hugs him. “I’m happy you’re home.”

“Me, too.” Eggsy sniffs the air. “Do I smell chicken parmesan?”

“Yes, because you were gone, and Da misses you and always makes your favorite,” Drew chants. He looks at Max and makes a face. “Are ya gonna do it?”

“You need to learn how to be stealthy…like a spy,” Max snaps. Merlin and Eggsy look at each other in alarm. “Like on TV.”

“Sorry!” Drew hisses back. “Me and Max made something for you, Daddy. Yesterday night.”

“Snowflakes,” Merlin tells him. “They worked quite hard.” They’d also spent over an hour locked away in their bedroom after dinner, but he’d figured they were just playing.

“I saw them in the windows…they’re gorgeous,” Eggsy informs them.

“Nah, not those.” Max pulls something from behind his back.

“We wrote you a book!” Drew yells.

“A book?” Eggsy looks at Merlin.

“Nae, lad, I had nothing to do with this.”

“Yesterday we were talking about decorations and family and stuff and Da told us how hard it was for you when you were little, cuz your Da died.” Max clears his throat. “So we made you your own special Christmas thing.” He opens the stapled book. “When Daddy was little he lived with his Mum and Da. Daddy and Grandpa would play outside in the snow until they were cold and then come in. Grandma would say their cheeks and nose looked like someone rubbed cherries all over them.”

“She did,” Eggsy says softly. “I’d lick Da’s cheek to see if he tasted like cherries.”

“She made hot chocolate and let Daddy put in as many marshmallows as he wanted, and Grandpa would use his marshmallows to make an igloo. Every year Daddy tried to catch Father Christmas but he couldn’t stay awake. He would always fall asleep as Grandma and Grandpa danced in front of the tree.” Max turns to the last page. “Maybe this year if Da and Daddy dance in front of the tree, we will catch Father Christmas. We love our Daddy and Da, love Maxwell and Andrew Macnair.”

“Do you like it?” Drew asks anxiously. “I drew the pictures.”

“And I asked Grandma about stories from when you were little. Because I don’t want you to be sad at Christmas,” Max tells him.

“I love it…thank you.” Eggsy clears his throat a few times before hugging his boys close. “And I could never be sad when I get the best gift in the world every single year…the best family anyone could ever ask for.”


End file.
